WUHAN, China -- Hubei Province, China, security officials said the poisoning deaths of six people were the result of a highly toxic rat poison being misused.

A police team formed to investigate the incident concluded that Chen Ruyan, one of the victims of the poisoning, mistook rat poison known as "Dushuqiang" for flour and mixed it into the dough he was using to make rice dumplings, Xinhua, China's official government-run news agency, reported Monday.

Two elderly people died within 20 minutes of eating the dumplings and six others were hospitalized soon after with symptoms of poisoning. Four people, including Chen, later died.